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Halt and Catch Fire Season 1 Episodes
Season 1 Episode Guide
10 Episodes 2014 - 2014
Episode 1
I/O
Sun, Jun 1, 201448 mins
Dallas, Texas, 1983. Confident Joe MacMillan, a key player in the introduction of the IBM PC, has just been offered a job as a salesman for Cardiff Electric, a systems software company that has no interest in the development of PCs to compete against IBM. What Cardiff Electric is unaware of is that Joe has been MIA for the past year, his whereabouts or doings which no one knows. Despite their less than productive first meeting, Joe searches out Gordon Clark, a lowly engineer at Cardiff Electric. Gordon is floundering in his life, he, along with his wife Donna, who once had the passion of PC hardware development and the potential of computers, but who now feels that the security of a job to support the family is more important despite his generally despondent state because of that job. But Joe entering Gordon's life reignites that passion in Gordon, Joe who wants Gordon to help reverse engineer a IBM PC so that they can develop a PC clone that they want. This action would mean their jobs if found out, and a possible breakup of Gordon's marriage. But Joe has a master plan in this venture which he doesn't initially divulge to Gordon and which takes surprising turns to Gordon. In addition to being more up front with what they're doing to their organizational masters than Gordon believes is prudent, Joe's plan also involves a young prodigious and cocky computer student named Cameron Howe, who also had an interesting first meeting with Joe when he was scoping her potential for the team.
Episode 2
FUD
Sun, Jun 8, 201443 mins
Joe ends up being correct about the meeting with IBM: as long as they all stick to the untrue story that Cardiff Electric had long worked on developing a PC clone, and that what has ended up being Cameron's job to develop the BIOS code does not involve Gordon or his discoveries about IBM's proprietary BIOS code, Cardiff Electric is just working within the boundaries of what is legal and there is nothing IBM can do about it. After that meeting, Joe outlines his vision for what he, Gordon and Cameron will be working on: a PC clone that is twice the speed and half the price of what IBM has on the market. Neither Gordon or Cameron share this vision, Gordon who believes in the standard marketing practice of offering the consumer something marginally better than the previous model at a slightly higher price, while Cameron sees the project as just another boring "beige box". Although Gordon sees this path as at least being bright to support his family, Cameron does not like what she's gotten herself into, as it does not match her vision, her working environment she finds stifling, and she can see that her role is short term in nature, they letting her go after she develops the code. Being a large company, IBM may have other cards to play up their sleeve, which could stop Joe, Gordon, Cameron and Cardiff Electric's party before it gets off the ground, that is unless Joe, the salesman, can sell those that matter that what they are doing is the panacea to Cardiff Electric's potential emerging problems.
Episode 3
High Plains Hardware
Sun, Jun 15, 201443 mins
Despite IBM's raid on Cardiff Electric's clients, Joe has convinced those concerned, most specifically Gordon and Cameron, to continue with the PC project. The company is in a much weakened state because of the raid leading to staff layoffs, which an ill-equipped Gordon is responsible for issuing to the affected engineering staff, and the search for investors for the PC project. Joe and Bosworth have differing views on where those moneys can potentially come from. Gordon, with a much reduced staff, is working on the engineering issues Joe wants for the PC, namely that it now be portable and no heavier than 15 pounds. Gordon gets some help from an unexpected source, that help which has repercussions in that person's own professional life. Conversely, he faces a roadblock with another, that roadblock which he sees more clearly after a traffic incident. Cameron, basically living in her "office", is having a mental block in writing the BIOS code. She wanders around the Cardiff Electric offices she believes under the radar, but takes some measures to unblock her brain.
Episode 4
Close to the Metal
Sun, Jun 22, 201443 mins
With a mid-project success with the BIOS code, Joe makes two bold moves within the office. First, he destroys the book that contains the IBM proprietary code, and second, he invites Wall Street Quarterly to do a story about their PC clone project. The story Joe wants written may not happen first because the reporter, Ron Kane, doesn't see what's happening as being newsworthy, and second as a crisis occurs in the office during Kane's visit, that crisis issue which may in turn be the story. As Joe tries to manage Kane, Gordon tries to manage the actual crisis issue by calling in an outside expert, that person who does not sit well with Joe. Cameron, who outwardly is most affected by the crisis issue, takes action to some news she learns during the crisis which may affect her already tenuous relationship with her co-workers, most specifically Gordon. Because of distractions in her life, Donna's work at TI suffers. The Cardiff Electric crisis and Donna's work issues affect the Clarks' personal life, these issues in combination which have the potential either to bring Donna and Gordon closer together or tear them apart. And wondering what happened to cause LouLu Lutherford not to return his telephone calls, Nathan expresses his concern to John about what looks like he is letting Joe take over the running of the company. While Joe makes one move which may prove that Nathan is correct, John, independently of Joe's move, makes one of his own.
Episode 5
Adventure
Sun, Jun 29, 201443 mins
The Wall Street Quarterly article and Cameron being able to complete the BIOS code have created renewed public interest in the PC project, upon which Joe wants to capitalize, not only for the project but also for himself. Cameron is dismayed however to learn that Joe's suggested vacation for her was so that he could hire a software engineering team behind her back. She does find that there are like minded individuals among the team, but she isn't sure if she can work under her new boss, the overly bureaucratic Steve. Gordon believes he has a possible solution to the computer's weight issue and the contacts to achieve his plan, Gordon's initiative which irks Joe under the surface as he was not the one to initiate it. Regardless, Joe believes he needs to be involved in the meeting with Gordon and the Japanese manufacturers to discuss the issue, and later clean up the mess that Gordon creates at that meeting, which Joe feels has placed him once again as being in a position of being indispensable. After a few bumps in the road, Donna gets back into Hunt's good graces... perhaps a little too good. And Joe receives a surprise visit from his IBM executive father, Joe MacMillan Sr. Joe Jr. has to decide what to do about his father, who he really does not want to see. Joe Sr. does gain some insight about Joe Jr.'s current dealings from a few secondary sources regardless of if he gets to see his son.
Episode 6
Landfall
Sun, Jul 6, 201443 mins
The impending hurricane to hit the Gulf Coast, which will peripherally affect Dallas, matches the excitement at Cardiff Electric as the PC team seems to have achieved its goal of producing a portable PC that is smaller and faster than anything on the market. This excitement is tempered by an incident that shows Joe his pecking order in the company, and Cameron's vision for the project, which she sees as so much more than just another boring beige box as she refers to PCs. For Cameron's vision to be realized, she needs both Gordon's support in extra hardware requirements, and Joe's approval. While Joe ponders the idea, Gordon is less than willing to compromise what he already sees as a great product for Cameron's fanciful whims. With Donna's help, Gordon believes he has to do more than just talk to Joe to convince him his stand is correct. In the heat of the moment, Gordon promises Donna that he will go out to buy Joanie a present she wants, some new toy called a Cabbage Patch Kid, which may fall by the wayside in his own mind as he focuses on work. Incidents that happen during the storm associated with the hurricane give each of Joe, Gordon and Cameron some added perspective as to Cameron's idea. Through it all, Joe and Cameron try to come to some understanding not only of how their sexual encounters affect their working relationship, but also what those sexual encounters mean for their emotional selves.
Episode 7
Giant
Sun, Jul 13, 201443 mins
The next phase of the PC project is design. Believing it could be aesthetically beautiful and not just another beige box, Joe is able to call in an old friend, top industrial designer Simon Church, to come up with a concept. Simon's arrival onto the scene has the possibility to alienate both Gordon and Cameron, but for different reasons. Gordon is feeling tired of people not listening to him, and acts upon his new-found albeit temporary freedom with the girls while Donna is out of town on business. Donna, on the other hand, may also act upon her new temporary freedoms based on a business meeting and a telephone call home to Gordon. And while he has been issued a divorce petition, an action which no one in the company knows about, John gets more bad news: the PC project is out of money, and without a quick cash influx, the entire company could shut down within a week if the PC project proceeds. John has to find some money to tie them over until COMDEX in a couple of weeks, without letting the PC team know what's going on behind the scenes financially.
Episode 8
The 214s
Sun, Jul 20, 201443 mins
Members of the PC team are getting prepared to go to COMDEX in Las Vegas to sell "The Giant", which they see as the beginning of the end toward reaching the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. What Gordon is unaware of is that Joe's plan is for Joe to go by himself. What Joe and Gordon are also unaware of is that John, with Cameron's help, has gone to extraordinary measures to ensure that they do make it to COMDEX in light of the company's cash flow problems. In light of John's actions, the plans to go to COMDEX are placed into jeopardy. Gordon sees this change as an opportunity, of which he is able to convince Cameron. Joe has different thoughts based on information he learns about work being conducted at IBM. Through it all, Donna reviews her marriage critically, especially in light of Hunt's actions following their return from the business trip to Lubbock. Finding something that Gordon has hidden in the garage may factor into Donna's decision about what to do.
Episode 9
Up Helly Aa
Sun, Jul 27, 201443 mins
With no money except the $11,000 they could get selling Joe's sports car, Joe, Gordon, Cameron and Donna drive to COMDEX in Las Vegas in the Clarks' station wagon. Despite the bad publicity that Cardiff Electric has received because of the embezzlement, they believe it is still publicity that will generate buzz about their sheer presence, let alone what they might have to offer. They just have to play the part that everything is still running smoothly, which means presenting a façade of corporate wealth. But they find that Cardiff Electric's frozen bank account has caused some problems in securing both their hotel suite and convention floor space. Being that they are in Las Vegas, they believe that they may be able to overcome issue after issue with a little smoke and mirrors. But one obstacle they face threatens their entire existence at COMDEX, one that will make them individually and collectively decide what is best for the here and now possibly at the sacrifice of certain relationships.
Episode 10
1984
Sun, Aug 3, 201443 mins
The outcome of Joe, Gordon, Cameron and Donna's trip to COMDEX is that all relationships are still in tact except for that between Cameron and the "company" and most specifically Joe, as she could not accept his decision to downgrade the operating system, regardless of that decision leading to the $40 million net profit deal with Computerland. Their split is despite Cameron believing she was in love with Joe, and Joe still being in love with Cameron. Joe begins to believe that Cameron may have been right after seeing the new generation Mac having that wow factor, which the Giant does not have. As such, he feels that down the road the Giant will not be seen as a major milestone in computer history. Regardless, Joe and Gordon are able to negotiate a lucrative deal with Nathan Cardiff as joint operations heads, despite Cardiff still not liking Joe and not being interested in the profit far exceeding what the company has experienced in the past. Gordon, however, begins to believe that he and Joe have different views as to the next steps with the Giant, which leads to Gordon, with Donna's help, coming up with a scheme to push Joe out, attacking what they believe is Joe's Achilles heel. Meanwhile, Cameron stumbles across what she hopes will be her first true legacy in the electronics business. And following their encounter with Hunt and Brian at COMDEX, Donna orchestrates her own demise at TI without a clear idea of what her professional future holds.
